"According to our zeal for advancement, we take advantage of the good we see to practice it, and carry us to God.
To renounce ourselves in all things, and die to the insatiable desires of our heart. It is certain that we can merit in the service of God only in proportion as we do violence to ourselves. Wherefore, let us fight against and subdue the irregular inclinations which allure us to sin or to relaxations of our fervor: by this mean we shall secure our salvation.
A vigorous, constant and generous effort to overcome ourselves forwards us more in the way of perfection and salvation than all those fruitless desires by which we would give ourselves to God, yet we do not what we ought.
The more we die to ourselves, the more do we live to God : and the more we refuse to gratify ourselves, so much the more do please Him.
How delightful must the life of that Christian be whose desires are so regulated that his chief happiness is in denying himself and pleasing God!
How sure a means of obtaining a happy eternity.
Prayer: Thou knowest, O Jesus, the extreme difficulty we experience in subduing and subjecting ourselves to Thee: suffer not this difficulty to hinder us from accomplishing it. It is just we should prefer Thy glory and Thy holy will, to our own will and gratification, and hence we are resolved to do so. Strengthen us in this resolution, and make us faithful: grant that all in us may yield to Thee, that, advancing daily in virtue, and leading a supernatural and, through Thy merits, an acceptable life, we may become worthy of Thy grace here, and of Thy eternal glory hereafter. Amen." --"Imitation Of Christ" T. Kempis
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I asked again, what to relate. . . . This is what I got (the above inspired quote) and is, apparently, an important theme at this time!
The winnowing--the "separating of the wheat from the chaff" is well under way. For those dedicated to THE LOVE OF GOD, TRUTH, THE WAY! . . . there is no getting around "dying to self" in a deep, profound, serious way.
The world is constantly drawing you away from this one, main thing. LIFE IS SHORT--A VAPOR! I have seen, I believe, that the heart's desires WILL all be fulfilled, one day, in perfection. THIS world, as it is, fallen, is not the place to attempt to do it. It all must be done under The Lord's tutelage and direction. He made YOU specifically, uniquely, as a precious individual with certain unique talents, dreams, yearnings . . . yes He did! AND HE LOVES WHO HE MADE for the purpose in His Divine plan--in His ETERNAL Divine plan!
Here? This fallen world . . . is not the place to realize selfish dreams. YES, we find ourselves doing some things along the Way that comport with our innermost Created desires and callings, thank God! But here . . . it's a lot of hit and miss.
And, now, there is obviously (to my eye) an intense pressure to SELF-seek, and many opportunities to do so. NOT taking the bait, and persevering in cleaving, adhering to THE TRUTH, THE WORD . . . FAITH in The Word, in CHRIST, is . . . and will be requiring EXTRA effort to pursue and maintain!
(Of course, I'm not talking about "works" being necessary for salvation. HOWEVER, if you find yourself CHOSEN by GOD--you will find yourself, I dare say, Seeing, Hearing, Feeling, Knowing that the separation is well under way . . . and YOU find yourself going with GOD--choosing GOD . . . because HE CHOSE YOU!!!
That knowledge is FALL DOWN ON FACE TIME!!! GRATEFUL beyond measure! And, of course, NOT because you deserve(d) it! IT IS HIS WILL!
So. . . . . . as the mess and propaganda and ubiquitous perversion and rampant wickedness, evil, violence, subversion, devil going gangbusters in his last days tormenting all and anyone who is subject to be following his wicked way . . . . . I'm just saying PRAISE GOD! that you find yourself loving The Lord, Savior, Truth, Righteousness, The Word! God be praised!)
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